Behind the leaders, six other teams were out of Nome by 10 a.m. Thursday. Wily veteran Scott Davis of Soldotna and partner Aaron Bartel of Anchorage were on the trail at 8:12 a.m., followed at 8:57 a.m. by the father-son duo of Andy and Brad George. Mike Campbell

An extensive search and rescue operation that included a Fort Wainwright helicopter and saw rescuers spend a night bivouacked on a mountain outside Fairbanks ended Tuesday with the safe rescue of two hunters who were stranded when their snowmachines broke down Sunday, Alaska State Troopers said.Megan Edge

Denali is wide open during the non-summer months, welcoming adventurous visitors with a plethora of recreation options, as long as one is prepared for winter and possesses an independent spirit.Erin Kirkland

The warming that has covered Alaska this past week has brought thoughts of spring to all of us. Will it be an early spring this year? What the heck, we only had a couple weeks of winter anyway.John Schandelmeier

It was fabulous to get outside, meet new people, and experience something different than what I normally do for winter exercise. No doubt, I’m still a tourist of winter city biking, and have enormous respect for those who bike year round. The thing about this ride was I didn’t feel like a tourist.Alli Harvey

The first 12 miles of Denali National Park road were plowed and opened to motorists recently. The open portion of the road starts near Mile 237 of the Parks Highway and ends at the Mountain Vista parking area near the Savage River campground.